Tag: Chips

Is Pringles having a moment?

Not only did it just release a new line of Wavy flavors – “Flavys” as the kids call them – but earlier this month a Texas woman was banned from Walmart for drinking wine out of a Pringles can.

Quite frankly, I think she was the more innovative one in this situation.

Wavy Pringles are, well they’re Pringles with Ridges. The Ruffle to your regular Lay’s chip. I don’t know if this development is moving the snack needle for you in the era of endless Oreo cookies, Sour Patch Kids cereal, and Lay’s Do Us a Flavor, but maybe the four “new” Pringles Wavy varieties will strike a chord.

Since there are four flavors, I’ll review them on an “Inability to stop once popping” scale. I’ll hit you with the worst to first. Meh to yeah! Least to BEAST! Boo to, get on with the damn review already dude!

Classic Salted

Have you ever had Original Pringles? Well, if you wanna try those with waves, now’s your chance. I think the ridges make these slightly worse than Original Pringles, as it makes them taste a bit stale – more stale really, Pringles always have a “these might be old” kinda texture. Still, these are fine. I guess.

Purchased Price: $1.44
Size: 4.5 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz./12 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Applewood Smoked Cheddar

These tasted almost exactly like those bags of TGI Fridays Potato Skins. The cheese flavor was identical to me, to the point I was tricking myself that there was an “Applewood Bacon” flavor too, despite there being no signs on that. These were the saltiest of the four, but still pretty poppable.

Purchased Price: $1.44
Size: 4.8 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz./12 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

Fire Roasted Jalapeno

After one chip I was ready to crown them the Wavy Kings. Before the heat kicked in, there is actually somehow a refreshing burst, like literally biting into a pepper you just ran under the tap.

The heat is a bit overwhelming, so once I popped it was pretty easy to stop. These are sinus clearers for sure. Not only that, transitioning from a super salty flavor to a hot flavor wreaked havoc on my tongue. All that said, these are very true to jalapenos.

p>Purchased Price: $1.44
Size: 4.8 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz./12 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

And the winner for “Most Poppable Pringles Wavy Flavor” is:

Sweet and Tangy BBQ

I won’t lie, I pretty much knew these would win because I’ve loved BBQ Pringles since I was a kid. These are a well-done spin on the regular BBQ, almost smelling and tasting like they lean more towards that “Carolina” vinegary BBQ sauce.

They have a perfect level of kick to them, with a sweetness that masks the heat nicely. The tang sets them apart from what you are used to. These hit on all the best elements of the previous three flavors without the negatives.

p>Purchased Price: $1.44
Size: 4.8 oz. can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz./12 crisps) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

So, in the end, do you know what Pringles Wavy chips taste like?

Pringles.

These are kinda non-starters, but tasty. I’d say the BBQ and Jalapeno chips were the flavors that improved on the similar Pringles I’d had before.

To answer the question posed in the opening sentence, I don’t think Pringles are having a moment at all. They can use an exciting brand extension. Bad enough they’re usually buried by the Chex Mix in the supermarket. They need to get their name back out there in a better way than just adding ridges. Each of these flavors would have been as good if not better without the waves.

Maybe they’ll start selling Pringles Wine Glasses on Etsy.

Snack scalpers.

They’re the only way you’ll be able to get your hands on a Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner Set. Because it sold out in under an hour after it became available for purchase exclusively on the online Kellogg’s Store.

That’s crazy, right?

It’s crazy there’s a Kellogg’s online store. I had no idea. You can get a box of Frosted Flakes or Pop-Tarts with your photo on it, Eggo waffle socks, Tony the Tiger slippers, and so much more. I want to get a box of Frosted Flakes with a photo of me holding up a box of Frosted Flakes that also has a photo of me holding a box of Frosted Flakes.

Oh, you’re wondering why I’m not amazed by Thanksgiving-flavored Pringles and the fact that it sold out in less than an hour? Well, there have been Thanksgiving-flavored chips before, I reviewed one. And, as someone who tried to purchase Perfect Pepsi from Amazon on October 21, 2015, I have experienced first-hand what it’s like for something to sell out in a matter of minutes and then later see snack scalpers on eBay sell it for 10-20 times more than its retail price. So I expected the quick sellout.

But, is it worth spending (checks eBay) $50-$100 to get your hands on these cans?

Um, no.

But you can experience these chips vicariously through me, which is completely free. Okay, not entirely free. If you think time is money, then this review will take up 3-5 minutes of your time/money.

The Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner Set features three flavors — Turkey, Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie. Sadly, no cranberry, corn on the cob, candied yams, mashed potato, or tears shed from another Thanksgiving dinner fight. But the three in the set taste like what I’d expect from the obligatory portions of a Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey Pringles are savory and herbaceous with the flavor of the bird lurking in the back. While they’re tasty and remind me of turkey, a couple of other thoughts popped into my head. Why do I sometimes think of soup while chewing on them? And, they could also be mistaken for Stuffing Pringles.

The Stuffing one is a little herbaceous with a slight poultry-ness and tastes exactly like that popular stove top-prepared dish — Nissin Top Ramen Chicken. It’s as if Pringles took last year’s wonderful Nissin Top Ramen Chicken flavor, did absolutely nothing to it, and relabeled it “Stuffing.” To be honest, I have no problem with that because the ramen Pringles are one of my all-time favorites.

Finally, we come to Pumpkin Pie, which has already exists in the Pringles universe. It hits all the right pumpkin spice notes — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc. The spices hide the fact they are delivered on a potato crisp, but the pumpkin spice facade quickly fades, leaving your taste buds to deal with the underlying potato flakes. The flavor is good, but it’s too fleeting.

Besides daring you to spend $15 (its retail price) for what equals to the same amount of Pringles you can get for $1-$2, Pringles also dares you to stack all three into THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING STACK. Is it gross? Since turkey and stuffing being in the same bite is common at Thanksgiving, and the Pumpkin Pie spices are fleeting, it’s not.

Overall, Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner has some Willy Wonka-like magic on them. If it ends up in stores next year, it’s worth a try.

So there, I saved you $50-$100. You’re welcome. Happy Thanksgiving!

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. Doing so did not influence my review in any way. After seeing the prices it was going for on eBay, I thought about selling it, but Kellogg’s would’ve been upset with me if I did.

Purchased Price: Received from Kellogg’s
Size: 3 1.4 oz. cans
Purchased at: Was available on Kellogg’s online store
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) Turkey – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Stuffing – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Pumpkin Pie – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.